


Mommy, I'm Sorry

by firstbankofchickpea



Category: Psychonauts (Video Games)
Genre: Depressing, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, One Shot, Spoilers - Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23430334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstbankofchickpea/pseuds/firstbankofchickpea
Summary: In which a young Caligosto comes to a horrible realization.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	Mommy, I'm Sorry

**Author's Note:**

> Part of this one shot is inspired by a mini comic drawn by cabinetofdrcaligosto on Tumblr. Be sure to check out their blog because the art is great!

Caligosto sat curled up on his bed, his favorite teddy bear held firmly in his thin arms. He chewed on one of the plush’s button eyes in anxiety. Mommy was mad at him. She was really mad at him and he wasn’t sure why. He knew that he had made a mess in the kitchen, but he had made messes before and all he got was a scolding. This was different though. Mommy had actually screamed at him and it had frightened him terribly.

He tried to reason with himself. Maybe it was because he had bent up all the spoons while he was playing. He decided that he had probably gotten a bit carried away with playing shipmates in the kitchen. It was a game Daddy and him played during bath time, but Daddy was at work and bath time was too far away. Mommy had been too busy to play with him, so he played by himself in the kitchen sink.

The water in the sink had become the ocean and the little square sponge was the enemy’s boat. You couldn’t play shipmates without using projectiles to fight, so he improvised some torpedoes. Since his hands were soaking wet, he used his mind to open the kitchen drawers and sent the spoons to fire upon the boat. Oftentimes, when he sent things ‘flying’, he would break or bend whatever he was playing with. In this case, he had inadvertently bent up all the spoons. That must have been why Mommy was so mad at him.

Caligosto stood up and walked over to his little desk. Mommy and Daddy always liked it when he drew them pictures. Maybe if he drew Mommy an extra special picture, she wouldn’t be so mad anymore. He pulled out his well worn pack of crayons and a piece of paper. He was going to draw a picture of Mommy and him. He really liked drawing Mommy. She was so pretty.

When he had finished coloring in Mommy’s hair, he started to draw himself standing next to her. He had to remember to color his glasses with eyes with two different colors. He didn’t like to since he got teased so much at school for it, but he wanted Mommy to know for sure that it was him.  


When he finished, Caligosto sat up and surveyed his art work. It needed something more. Something that Mommy would really like. It took him a second before he thought of flowers. His Mommy loved flowers. She always wore dresses with flowers all over them. They were even on her bathrobe and shower cap.  


The only problem was that he had drawn the picture of Mommy and him too close together. There was no room to draw flowers between them. Caligosto chewed on the end of his crayon before realizing that he could just draw himself ‘flying’ the flowers over to her. He could put them right over their heads.

With the task done, he stood up and took a good look at his work of art. He was certain that Mommy would love it. He picked up the drawing and showed it to his teddy bear for approval. When he felt that his teddy had given him the okay, he headed out of his room and down the stairs.

When he reached the kitchen, he peered around the corner cautiously. Mommy was sitting at the kitchen table, her face hidden in her hands. Caligosto stepped quietly up to her. He noticed that all the bent spoons had been collected into a little pile on the stove. He stared up at her expectantly, hoping that she would notice him. 

When she didn’t acknowledge him, he gently tugged on her dress. “Mommy?” he asked tentatively. Mommy jumped up and gasped. She stared at him for several long seconds not speaking a word. Her crimson eyes awash with fear. Her visceral reaction scared him, but he didn’t back away. He held out his drawing. “I’m sorry I made you mad, Mommy. I drew this picture for you.” Mommy gaped at him for several moments before stammering. “That...that’s very nice of you, dear.” She reached a hand out to take the drawing, although he noticed her hand was trembling as she grasped the paper.

She sat down again and stared at his drawing for a tortuously long time without saying a word. Caligosto waited for her to smile and tell him she loved him, but it never came. Instead, Mommy slapped the drawing down on the table and buried her face in her hands once more. Caligosto’s mind raced. He had done something wrong again, but what was it? What had he done this time?

He didn’t know what to do. His Mommy was upset and he had caused it. He did the only thing he could think of and wrapped his arms around Mommy’s legs and squeezed her tightly. He let out a pitiful startled squeak as he felt himself being roughly pushed away. His Mommy shrieked at him. “Just go away!” Caligosto shook in terror before he turned around and raced up the staircase. He rubbed furiously under his glasses as he bolted into his room and slammed the door behind him.

Despondent, Caligosto sank into his bed once more and grabbed his teddy. He sobbed uncontrollably into the bear’s faux fur. What had he done wrong? Just what had he done wrong? An aching hollow sensation blossomed inside his chest as he tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened. He didn’t understand anything, but he did understand one thing. His Mommy didn’t love him anymore.


End file.
